The 20 Best Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Doctors in Florida, US

Dr. Kays is the medical director of the Center for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) at Johns Hopkins All Children’s and leads the first unit in the country exclusively dedicated to these patients. He also serves as director of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program and co-director of the Fetal Diagnosis/Treatment program. He joined the medical staff in 2016. Dr. Kays has more than two decades of clinical and research leadership in the treatment of CDH, a life-threatening birth defect that affects about one in every 3,000 pregnancies. His research has focused on defining the best treatment strategies for this challenging neonatal diagnosis and contributed to significant advances in care and outcomes. Dr. Kays was previously with UF Health and Shands Children’s Hospital for more than 20 years. He was also surgeon in chief, professor of surgery and chief of the division of pediatric surgery in the University of Florida College of Medicine, Department of Surgery, where he led the ECMO and congenital diaphragmatic hernia program for over 20 years. He is the author or coauthor of more than 60 peer-reviewed original science publications and speaks nationally and internationally on CDH care and outcomes. Dr. Kays earned his medical degree from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. He completed a surgical residency at Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester Medical Center, and then completed a pediatric surgery fellowship at Morgan-Stanley Children’s Hospital of Columbia University, New York. Dr. Kays is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Children’s Oncology Group. Videos Meet David Kays, M.D. Dr. Kays is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Diaphragmatic Hernia, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, Hernia, Fryns Syndrome, and Appendectomy.

Samuel Giday is a Gastroenterologist in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Giday is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Barrett Esophagus, Portal Hypertension, Childhood Volvulus, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.

Marlon Ilagan is a Gastroenterologist in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Ilagan is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Barrett Esophagus, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Childhood Volvulus, Gastrectomy, and Colonoscopy.

Farid Gharagozloo is a Thoracic Surgeon in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Gharagozloo is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Hiatal Hernia, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS), Endoscopy, and Hernia Surgery.

Dr. Smithers is an associate professor of surgery and director of the Esophageal and Airway Treatment (EAT) Program in the Department of Surgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital since 2019. He was honored for Innovations in Clinical Care at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Awards for 2020. As a leader in both innovation and expertise for pediatric thoracic surgery, he and his team see patients from all over the United States and internationally. The team also makes several invited trips per year around the country and world for lectures and conferences, in addition to helping patients and teaching other surgical teams regarding complex esophageal and airway surgical techniques in the operating room. Dr. Smithers previously served as assistant professor of surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital from 2009-2019, as part of their groundbreaking EAT program. His clinical specialties are congenital and acquired conditions of the esophagus and airway, vascular rings, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), surgical critical care, and minimally invasive surgery. He earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College and completed his residency in general surgery at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. He served as fellow in pediatric surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital after completing a research fellowship and a surgical critical care fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. He also completed a global surgery clinical fellowship at Harvard Medical School. Videos Meet Jason Smithers, M.D. What is esophageal stricture and how is it treated? What is tracheomalacia and how is it treated? What is recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula (rTEF) and how is it treated? What is long gap esophageal atresia and how is it treated?. Dr. Smithers is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Esophageal Atresia, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Diaphragmatic Hernia, Gastrostomy, and Endoscopy.

Steven Kappler is a Gastroenterologist in Port St Lucie, Florida. Dr. Kappler is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Gardner Syndrome, Turcot Syndrome, Gastrectomy, and Colonoscopy.

Juan Combs is a Gastroenterologist in Stuart, Florida. Dr. Combs is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Bile Duct Obstruction, Diverticular Disease, Colitis, Gastrectomy, and Endoscopy.

Roger Coron is a Gastroenterologist in Port St Lucie, Florida. Dr. Coron has been practicing medicine for over 24 years and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Chronic Erosive Gastritis, Diverticular Disease, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Gastrectomy, and Endoscopy.

Emanuele Menzo is a General Surgeon in Weston, Florida. Dr. Menzo is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Hernia, Obesity, Hiatal Hernia, Sleeve Gastrectomy, and Gastrectomy.

Juan Bird is a Gastroenterologist in Vero Beach, Florida. Dr. Bird has been practicing medicine for over 24 years and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Colitis, Childhood Volvulus, Bile Duct Obstruction, Gastrectomy, and Endoscopy.

Tolga Erim is a Gastroenterologist in Weston, Florida. Dr. Erim has been practicing medicine for over 30 years and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Barrett Esophagus, Achalasia, Bile Duct Stricture, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.

Asad Ur Rahman is a Gastroenterologist in Weston, Florida. Dr. Ur Rahman is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Turcot Syndrome, Gardner Syndrome, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.

Bruce Grossman is a Hepatologist in Vero Beach, Florida. Dr. Grossman is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Diverticular Disease, Trichohepatoenteric Syndrome, Familial Colorectal Cancer, Endoscopy, and Colonoscopy.

Brenda Cantisano is a Gastroenterologist in Parkland, Florida. Dr. Cantisano is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Her top areas of expertise are Indigestion, Hemorrhoids, Painful Swallowing, Endoscopy, and Colonoscopy.

Gloria Francis is a Gastroenterologist in Parkland, Florida. Dr. Francis has been practicing medicine for over 17 years and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Her top areas of expertise are Chronic Idiopathic Constipation (CIC), Hemorrhoids, Trichohepatoenteric Syndrome, Colonoscopy, and Endoscopy.

Arif Ishmael is a Gastroenterologist in Stuart, Florida. Dr. Ishmael is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Diverticular Disease, Gastric Dysmotility, Gastrointestinal Bleeding, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.

Adalberto Gonzalez is a Gastroenterologist in Parkland, Florida. Dr. Gonzalez is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Viral Gastroenteritis, Colitis, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Ileostomy, and Liver Transplant.

Dr. Shieh is a pediatric surgeon in the Department of Surgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the medical staff in 2021 and sees patients on our main campus in St. Petersburg, Florida, and also at Tampa General Hospital and Brandon Regional Hospital. Her clinical focus includes esophageal and airway treatment (EAT). Dr. Shieh earned her medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix. She completed her general surgery residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, during which she did a pediatric surgery research fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. She then completed her pediatric surgery fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Shieh speaks Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Dr. Shieh is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Her top areas of expertise are Esophageal Atresia, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Gastrointestinal Fistula, Endoscopy, and Gastrostomy.

Allen Ozeran is a Hospital Medicine provider in Port St Lucie, Florida. Dr. Ozeran is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His top areas of expertise are Gastrointestinal Bleeding, Acute Pancreatitis, Childhood Pancreatitis, Gastrostomy, and Endoscopy.

Ashley Canipe is a Gastroenterologist in Vero Beach, Florida. Dr. Canipe is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Her top areas of expertise are Barrett Esophagus, Bile Duct Obstruction, Pancreatic Cancer, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.